Trailer steering device



Dec. 9, 1924. v 1,518,517

H. W. .JONKHOFF TRAILER STEERING- DEVICE Filed June 19. 1923 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9, 1924. A 1,518,517

H. w. JoNKHoFF TRAILER STEERI NG DEVICE Filed June 19, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cul Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

amai woi-fremeaxaear, er .awa Difese ses@ mmm Application filed June 18, V1,923. dSerial No. GAGAZQ.

To all yiff/lem it Imuy concer/n,

V Be it known kthat I, HENRI VVOUTERONK- noni?, a subject of the .,Queeno'f il' he Netherlands, Iresiding at Semarang, dava, :Butch East l'ndies, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Trailer Steering Device, of which the following is a speciliciu tion.

YTurntables or 'fifth-wheels, which with regard to the `truck upon which they are secured are slidable in longitudinal direction are already known. 'Hereby in making curves an y alteration w as possible of the centre distance of e. g. two 'coupled 'four-wheeltrailer trucks carrying a loading surface, common for both trucks, upon one yfixed and a v,slidab'le turntable.

vThe invention has 'for its object to `distribute .the sliding movement in curves simultaneously over ibotlji turntables, so .that both tables will Ahave to "be ,provided lwith such a. sliding-device. By reason of the fact namely that a difference inlengtlnarises between l the loading-surface ont-he Ione hand and the wholeof the two coupled trucks on the other hand, as .soon as .there is curving thecentre distanceo'f'these'two coupledfourwheel-trailer-truclzs diminishes then in case e. .g.-the front turntable isaigidly secured to the front trailerrtrucl,'the arising difference in curves willjhaveto betotally absorbedfby the sliding device of the turntable of lthe second trailer truck, v.so that ,not only vthe distribution of weight on this truck is unfavourable but the loading surface will also project behind the said truck. This, in particular in tractortrain formations gives rise to diicul'ties,seeing that coupling rods should not be lengthened, and the principle of equal wheel positions in the train could. not be maintained.

The invention has now for its object the distribution of the difference of center distance of the two trucks in curves over two sliding devices of two turntables, whereby the above-mentioned diiiiculties are met with for 50%. However, as soon as both turntables are slidable in the longitudinal axis of their trailer-truck, then the attachment of the loading surface to the truck, by which the horizontal force of this truck is transmitted to the loading surface, has to be effected in another way. In the former use of one fixed turntable e. g. upon the front trailer truck, this fixed turntable will act as according to the @invention at the lpivotal point in v.the connecting irod between both trailer trucks, ifroxm where the connection leadstoeach ofithe extremities ofthe'loading surface to which these connect-ions are resiliently secured. 'In'this manner the loading surface is maintained in position with respect to both trucks by reason of the fact thattlie above-mentioned spring actionguarantees an equal distance ,from fthe `two eX- vtreinities of the loading surface `to the central pivot in the-connecting-rodlbetween :both trailers. rrl-he above-mentioned spring action then serves as an automatic distance-keeper between the vcenti-e of the turntable jat `the -one lhandV andithefpivot inltlie Iconnecting rod at the other han'd. .At the same :time the sliding' movement of both tuigntab'les is equalized by this `spring-action.

The two coupled trailers, conceived as a whole, thus permit the loading surface to slide along the arc of a. circle which in curves they trace as a biarticulate truck. it the same time the loading surface can slide over this biarticulated truck in longitudinal directioii when the longitudii'ial aXes of both trucks are in alignment. Thus when start :ing the train this spring action will serve at the saine time as shock absorber as it retards the moment of movement of the loading surface with respect to the starting moment of the trailer trucks.

In this manner it is thus obtained that resiliently coupled trailers are resiliently connected to a loading surface supported upon these two trailers and which under all circumstances can slide upon this biarticulate truck and this sliding movement is then controlled by a spring action at either sides of the pivot in the connecting rod, while the tension in this spring action is determined (ill by the location of the point of intersection or pivot in the connecting rod secured to these springs.

The invention will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of two resiliently coupled fourwheel-trailertrucks, the longitudinal axes of which are in alignment. Fig. 2 is a plan view of this coupled trucks in a curve.

In Fig. 1 two trailer trucks 1 and 1 are shown, which are coupled together by the connecting rod 2 which in the middle possesses a pivot 3 and which by means of pins i at either side isnon-resiliently secured to the spring buffers 5 of both trailer trucks. Therefore in case from two sides a connection is wanted to the po-int of intersection 3 then these may be effected equally well at other points in the given distance 5, 5 proportionally distanced from point 3, as the distance between these corresponding points and the point of intersection 3 under all circumstances will remain the same. The spring buffers 5 namely slide in their sleeves 6 between which sleeves the point 3 is adapted to move by reason of the spring action of the buffers.

In the drawing these corresponding points of attachment are e.. g. chosen in the resilient portions of the buffers at the points 7 where a link pivotally engages the buffer 5. This link is further engaged by a hook 8,- which can slide above the trailer truck 1 and to which at 9 a double cable or other connection 10 is secured which is connected to the ends of a spring 11 which on its turn is attached to the loading surface 12 at point 13 where this spring has a pivot point which will come into operation when making curves.

Figure 2.Herein this is illustrated by an example.

The longitudinal axes of both trailer trucks are no more in alinement. The point of intersection 3 in the connecting rod shows therefore a lateral deflection outside the longitudinal axis of the loading surface 12, so that the distances between the point of intersection 3 and the spring pivots 13 are increased whereby in both these springs, in the given position, a tension will arise, which is effected from point 3 equally to both sides.

As a matter of fact in these springs some tension must always be present even when the distance M-B is smallest as in Figure 1 for the reason that this tension must be adapted, even when the train has stopped, to stabilize the loading surface that is to say to keep it as much as possible centrally above the point of intersection 3 in the connecting rod, and this tension may be increased at will by shortening the connection by means of set screws at the pointsA 14, whereby the swinging capacity of the springs will diminish.

I claim:

1. A trailer steering device, comprising, two vehicles, a connect-ing rod coupling the vehicles, a turn table on each vehicle, a loading platform slidably supported b-y the turn tables, and a resilient connection between the connecting rod and the loading platform.

2. A trailer steering device, comprising, a vehicle truck, a loading platform, a slidable connection between the truck and the platform, and a resilient connection between the truck and the platform, whereby traction is set up between the truck and platform upon a change in distance between the end of the platform, and a point in the longitudinal axis of the truck.

In testimony whereof I afIix my signature.

HENRI WOUTER JONKHOFF. 

